Improvement in animal-traps



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WV. KELLEY, OF WABASH, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT lN ANIMAL-TRAPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 163,594, dated May 25, 1875; application filed October 1, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE W. KELLEY, of Wabash, county of Wabash and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and use-V ful Improvements in Animal-Trap, of which the following is a specification:

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of an animaltrap, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which- Figure lis a plan View of my trap. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section, and Fig. 3 a transverse vertical section of the same.

A represents a box, of any suitable dimensions, divided by a vertical partition, B, into two compartments, A1 and A2. At one end of the compartment A1 is a door, O, hinged at its upper end, and provided on one side with an arm, a, which is, by a rod, b, connected with a crank-pin, e, on the inner end of a shaft, d, that passes through the side of the box, near the other or rear end of the compartment A1. The top and rear end of this 'compartment are open and covered with wire-cloth, as shown, and at the rear end on the bottom is the bait-hook f. In front of the bait-hook the bottom of the box is made with a hinged treadle, D, which is held up from underneath by a spring, h, and is on its upper side provided with a stop, i. From the inner end of the shaft el projects, at right angles therewith, an arm, k, of suitable length, to be caught by said stop t'. f In a casing outside of the box A is a coilspring, lm, wound around the shaft d, one end of said spring being attached to the shaft and the other to the casing. On the outer end of the shaft is a crank, E, for revolving the shaft to Wind up the spring.

In the partition B, at the rear end of the compartment A1, is an opening, B1, leading into the compartment A2; and in this latter compartment, at the upper end of the opening B1, is hinged a Slat-gate, G, which, when down, stands in an inclined position. At

one or both sides of this gate are suitable guides or partitions to prevent the animal from passing through at the side of the gate. Opposite to the opening B1, in the other side of the compartment A2, is an opening covered by a sliding glass plate, H.

From the upper end of the gate G extends an arm, s, which is, by a rod, n, connected with a pivoted catch, p, arranged in a slot near the top of the outer wall of the compartment A1, and at such a point that the arm k of the shaft d will come in contact therewith.

The operation of this trap is as follows: By means of the crank E thev shaft d is revolved, so as to wind up the spring m,- and by allowing the arm lc to rest against the stop t' on the treadle D the trap Will be set, as the crank-pin e is so arranged as, in that position, to hold the door G open by means of the rod b and arm a. When the animal now enters the compartment A1, and attempts to reach the bait on the hookf, it must step on the treadle D, which gives and releases the arm k, so as to let the spring m operate to revolve the shaft d in the opposite direction. The shaft will only make one-half ot' a revolution, as the arm k is then stopped by the catch p,- and this movement closes the door O instantly, so that the animal is then confined in the compartment A1. Seeing light, however, inthe compartment A2 the animal will immediately pass into the same through the opening B1 and raise the gate G. As soon as the animal has rushed through, the gate at once falls down again, imprisoning the animal in the compartment A2. The raising of the gate Gr, as just described, turns the catch p; by means of the arm s and rod a on its pivot, releasing the arm 7c, and allowing the spring 'm to give the shaft d another one-half revolution, or until the arm is stopped by the treadle-stop t'.

This movement opens the door O, thus setting the trap for another animal to enter.

By sliding out the glass plate H the ani mals may be dropped into hot water, or otherwise to be killed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-n The combination of the box A with partition B, door` C, gate G, connecting-rods b n, treadle D with stop z', catch p, and the shaft In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I hereunto affix my signature.

d, provided with spring m, erankpin e, and GEORGE W. KELLEY. arm 7c, all constructed and arranged sub- Witnesses:

stantially as and for the purposes herein set A. L. TYER,

forth.

PAUL HERRING. 

